Picture courtesy of Bingjiefu He, CC BY-SA 4.0, by way of Wikimedia Commons.
Zohran Mamdani, a self-described socialist, has been referred to as a communist by his opponents. The reality is, the Democratic Socialists of America’s platform is actually akin to communism. Mamdani’s advocacy for democratic socialism aligns carefully with communist ideologies, posing a risk to particular person liberty and financial freedom.
The DSA’s constitution outlines a imaginative and prescient of socialism centered on collective management of sources and manufacturing. It advocates for financial planning, equitable distribution, and the abolition of systemic domination based mostly on race, faith, or gender.
Particularly, the constitution requires ending capitalist exploitation, describing U.S. capitalism as rooted within the enslavement of Black individuals and the genocide of Indigenous individuals. In 2023, the DSA reported 78,000 members nationwide, with its New York Metropolis chapter—carefully related to Mamdani—claiming over 7,000 members.
The constitution’s language, resembling overcoming the “parasitic death-drive of capitalism,” mirrors rhetoric from The Communist Manifesto, which famously concludes: “Staff of the world, unite! You don’t have anything to lose however your chains!” This parallel fuels considerations that democratic socialism serves as a rebranded entry level to communism.
In Venezuela, the socialist insurance policies of Hugo Chávez and Nicolás Maduro led to a 62% GDP decline from 2013 to 2020, in accordance with the Worldwide Financial Fund. Hyperinflation reached 1.7 million % by 2018, rendering the bolívar almost nugatory. Over 7 million Venezuelans—20% of the inhabitants—fled the nation by 2023, per the United Nations.
“I’m preventing Zohran Mamdani and the rise of socialism in New York as a result of that is about way more than politics — it’s in regards to the survival of a free society,” mentioned Brandon Straka, founding father of the #WalkAway motion.
Equally, Cuba’s communist regime, established in 1959, resulted in a GDP per capita of $9,100 in 2022, in comparison with $70,600 in the USA, in accordance with the World Financial institution.
In a private interview with Alan Dershowitz, he mentioned, “Individuals who lived by Russian communism, Cuban socialism, or Venezuelan collapse would by no means vote for him.”
The Soviet Union, which collapsed in 1991, noticed 14.5 million deaths from hunger and purges underneath Stalin’s regime, as documented by historian Robert Conquest. These examples illustrate the financial collapse and authoritarianism typically related to communist programs.
“Historical past could be very clear about what comes subsequent. Socialism doesn’t cease with lofty guarantees — it strikes into authoritarianism. The subsequent step is communism. We’ve seen it time and again: in Cuba, in Venezuela, within the Soviet Union,” Straka mentioned.
In a public assertion, Mamdani acknowledged that “globalizing Intifada” means various things to completely different individuals, together with, for some, a name to violence in opposition to Jews.
“He claims he doesn’t assist violence, however he gained’t condemn slogans that some interpret as calls to kill Jews,” Dershowitz mentioned.
Straka and Dershowitz argue that Mamdani represents a broader radicalization, particularly amongst youthful generations. A 2025 YouGov ballot discovered that 43% of Individuals aged 18–29 view socialism favorably, in comparison with solely 13% of these over 65.
This generational divide displays restricted publicity to socialism’s historic failures. Dershowitz emphasizes that survivors of Russian communism, Cuban socialism, or the Venezuelan collapse—such because the 1.5 million Cuban Individuals within the U.S., per the 2020 Census—overwhelmingly reject candidates like Mamdani.
These communities, having skilled centralized management firsthand, warn of its risks.
New York can not survive underneath Zohran Mamdani’s vision of top-down management, failed socialism, and anti-merit extremism. That’s why I’m proud to face with Brandon Straka—and hundreds of New Yorkers from each background—to talk out earlier than it’s too late.
Regardless of your race, faith, or politics, this struggle belongs to all of us. In case you care about New York—in case you care about America—then be part of us in serving to this metropolis #WalkAway from Mamdani.
